Intaglio plate printing machine



July 4, 1944. v. LAROC CA INTAGLIO PLATE PRINTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 17,1941 INVENTOR' Vtnceni Lanrcaz.

9 I ATTRNEY Patented July 4, 1944 INTAGLIO' PLATE PRINTING MACHINEVincent Larocca, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to R. Hoe & 00., Inc., NewYork, N. Y., a corpora tion of New York Application October 17, 1941,Serial No. 415,365

6 Claims.

This invention relates to machines used in printing from flat engravedplates and which are commonly known as power plate presses. In thisclass of machines, the engraved plates are supported on beds, generallycalled planks, which are moved about a rectangular frame in a closedpath on ways formed in or secured to the frame, the planks carrying theplates being passed successively under inking mechanism and wipingmechanism and then under an impression cylinder or roller. The planksfollow a straight path along each side of the frame and make a turn ateachcorner. They are usuall connected to a fi'exible driving member,such as a chain that is supported by sprockets at each of the fourcorners of the frame, one of the sprockets being driven by an electricmotor.

In Patent No, 2,223,369 issued December 3, 1940, a machine of the aboveclass is shown, and the mechanism of the invention disclosed hereinincludes certain improvements over the machine disclosed in thespecification of this prior patent, more particularly in the arrangementof certain details of construction wherein guiding members are provided,that are secured to the flexible driving member or chain, and engageguideways to steady and thus prevent undesired and excessive sidewisevibration of the flexible plank driving member.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that an object of this invention isto provide in power plate presses or the like, means to obviateundesired lateral vibration of a flexible driving member, such as achain, while it is propelling a printing plate supporting bed or plankabout a rectangular frame.

It is also an object of this invention to provide in a power plateprinting machine or press, means to insure smooth and substantiallyquiet operation of a plank driving means which will be simple, durableand inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical,serviceable and efiicient in its use.

With. the foregoing and other objects in View, that will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed. it being understood that changes in theembodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing a printing machine to which thefeatures and principles of this invention are applied;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental sectional view taken on the line 2--2of Figure 1 and showing a preferred arrangement of the chain steadyingmeans;

Figure 3 is an enlarged broken fragmental sectional view taken on theline 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a further enlarged top plan view of the chain steadyingmeans in operative position in a guideway.

The printing machine shown in Figure 1 includes a rectangular frame I I,having a rectangular opening at its center, and being provided withgrooves or ways [2, l3 and I4, the ways [2 extending about the frame lladjacent the periphery of the opening in the center, the ways 14extending about the outer sides of frame II, and the ways l3 extendingabout the frame I l intermediate the ways 12 and I4. Supports I5 forprinting plates, generally called planks and of which there are usuallyfour, rest upon the frame H and are moved about the frame, andsuccessively pasta sheet receiving station A, an impression rollermechanism IS, a delivery station E, a plate inking mechanism l1, and aplate wiping mechanism l8. Flat printing plates l9, carried by theplanks l5, are thus each inked by the inking mechanism l1, wiped toremove excess ink by the wiping mechanism I 8, then may have a sheetplaced thereon at A, and printed as it is passed under. the impressionroller of the mechanism It, the sheet being removed, when the platereaches position B.

The plate supports or planks l5 are guided about the frame II by rollers2| rotatably mounted at each corner of the planks, and rollers 22 attheir centers. The rollers 2! are arranged to ride in the ways I2 andI4, while the rollers 22 ride in the intermediate way I3. The roller 22of each plank l5 has its roller shaft 23 secured preferably to anendless chain 24 by a plate 25 to which the shaft is secured and whichis connected to the chain 24 by suitable link pins 26. The chain 24 issupported by and led around rotatable sprockets '21, one of which isdisposed at each corner of the frame H. An electric motor 28, preferablyof the type having a speed reduction gearing directlyassociated with it,is arranged to rotate one of the sprockets 2'! through a worm 29 andworm gear 3!, which latter is suitably 'secured to the sprocket 21. Thechain engaging portion 32 (Figure 2) of the sprockets 2! is in alignmentwith channels 33 through which the chain 24 is fed. The channels 33 arebelow the planks l and in alignment with the way l3.

In machines of this kind, it is desirable that the curvature of the pathof the planks where they turn at each corner of the frame be made withas small a radius as possible, so as not to reduce the length of thestraight portion of the path, nor to increase the overall dimensions ofthe frame. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary to userelatively small diameter sprockets for the chain, and as a relativelyheavy chain is required, the chain must be of a coarse pitch. Thiscombination of a coarse pitch chain and a relatively small diameter,sprocket produces a condition which causes the straight stretches of thechain to move sidewise to a noticeable extent as each link of the chainpasses a given point, the motion being perpendicular to a line tangentto the pitch circles of two successive sprockets and in the path of thechain. While this action is not objectionable at the speeds at whichmachines of this kind heretofore made are operated, it is found thatwith improved machines, such as that shown in the hereinbefore mentionedpatent, when operating at the higher speeds for which they are designed,that the chain vibrates to such an extent that it affects the operationof the machine.

To obviate this disadvantage, rollers 34 are each secured to the chain24 by being rotatably mounted on a stud 35 extending from a base plate35, in turn fastened to the chain 24 by link pins 31. The rollers 34 arepreferably positioned substantially midway on'the chain 24 between therollers 22, and ride in the intermediate way I3 engaging its side walls38 and 39, as do the rollers 22. These rollers hold the lengths of chain24 between the sprockets 21, so as to effectively prevent sidewisevibratory motion. v

It will be seen that by means of the invention herein disclosed, meansare provided for holding the straight stretches of the driving chain ofa power plate printing machine, so as to confine it to its normal path,thereby preventing objectionable vibration and making it possible tooperatethe machine at considerable increase in speed. p v v It willbe'understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific formswithout departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, andit is therefore desired that the pres.-

as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the claimsrather than'to the foregoingdescription to indicate the scope of theinvention.

What I claim is: a I I 1.. In a printing machine having a plate supportarranged to carry-a printing plate, an endless flexible driving member;rotatable members positioned to support the driving member, guidewaysvertically aligned with the path of the driving member between therotatable members, means connecting'the support with the driving memberto move the support in a path following the guideways, carrying memberssecured to the driving member ahead of and behind the support,andguiding members on the carrying members ent embodiment be consideredvin all respects and engaging the guideways to prevent excessivevibration of the flexible driving member.

2. In a machine for printing from flat plates, a plate support, a framehaving ways above which the plate support is moved in a horizontalrectangular path about the frame, an endless fiexible driving member,rotatable members for supporting the driving member below the ways,means connecting the platesupport to the driving member whereby thesupport will move in the path about the frame, and a carrying 'memberspaced along the driving member from the plate support and arranged witha guiding member thereon to engage the ways to confine the drivingmember to a path in vertical alignment with the ways.

3. In a machine for printing from flat plates, a' frame having guidewaysarranged in a hori: zontal rectangular path in one plane, a flexibleendless member disposed substantially in vertical alignment with theguideways and in another plane, means to drive the flexible member,- aplurality of plate supports secured to and spaced apart along theendless member, and guideway engaging members mounted on carryingmembers and secured to the endless member between the plate supports;the said guideway engaging members being arranged to engage theguideways to hold the endless member in alignment therewith. y

4. In a printing machine, a frame having a generally rectangularguideway arranged in a horizontal plane, a printing plate support on theframe, an endless chain secured to the plate support and led about theframe, sprocket wheels adapted to support the chain in a horizontal pathparallel to and vertically spaced 'fromthe guideway, means to drive oneof the sprocket wheels, and guiding rollers carried by means secured tothe chain at positions spaced from the support and arranged to engagethe guideway in the frame and prevent vibratory motion of the chain inthe horizontal plane in which it is supported by the sprockets.

5. The combination in an intaglio plate print"- ing machine having aframe, plate supports movable horizontally about the frame, an end lesschain connected to each of the plate sup ports and sprockets to supportthe chainin a horizontal plane beneath the plate supports, of a guidewayin vertical alignment with the chain and in a horizontal planevertically displaced from the chain, a carrying member secured to thechain between each two plate supports, and a guiding member on eachcarrying member and engaging the guideway to prevent vibration of thechain.

6. The combination in an intaglio plate printing machine having a frame,plate supports movable horizontally about the frame, an endless chainconnected to'each plate support and sprockets to'support the chain in ahorizontal plane beneath the plate supports, of a guideway, a firstrollerrotatably mounted on a member secured to the chain at each platesupport and a second roller rotatably mounted on a member secured to thechain between each two plate supports, the said first and second rollersen" gaging the guideway to respectively guide the plate supports, andprevent vibration of the chain.

VINCENT LA OCCA.

